Oceanside awards $50,000 to students inspired by MLK Jr.

OCEANSIDE -- For high school senior Narmi Playa-Sandoval,
winning the city's Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award means
that college is no longer a distant, intangible dream.

Through tears, Narmi told hundreds gathered at a scholarship
awards ceremony Friday what the award meant in her life.

"Without this, it would be very difficult for me to pursue my
goal of going to college," Narmi said of the $2,000 scholarship.
"Now, I have hope of achieving my goals to become a nurse."

Narmi is raising her 2-year-old daughter, Beyonce, and works to
help her mother support her two brothers and two sisters. Until
recently, she didn't think she would ever get to attend
college.

Narmi was one of 16 Oceanside seniors awarded between $1,500 and
$5,000 in scholarships from the Oceanside Community Relations
Commission on Friday night at a reception held at the home of Janet
Bledsoe Lacy, resource director of the scholarship fund.

The scholarships awarded Friday totaled $50,000.

The city established the scholarships to assist students from
low- to moderate-income families who are interested in pursuing
careers -- such as community work, social work or civil rights --
that are consistent with the themes of the late civil rights
leader's life.

The winners were judged on the strength of an essay they wrote
about how King's life and teachings shaped their own personal and
career goals. Students also had to demonstrate financial need and
show strong academic achievements, Lacy said.

Many of the students who received awards talked about their
struggles to overcome obstacles and how they drew inspiration from
hardships King overcame.

Khrystyna Gozar Mandigma said King helped her appreciate her
darker skin color. She said she used to use bleaching soap and
avoid the sun because she was told that her "carmel complexion"
would always marginalize her as a second-class citizen.

In his scholarship essay, Michael Henderson III wrote about how
he learned to respond to a racial slur peacefully after previously
responding violently.

Veronica Herrera said she had to contend with the hate and anger
of an abusive stepfather, but has learned that the only answer to
hate is love.

Tim Leung, a member of the community relations commission who
served as master of ceremonies, said about $350,000 in scholarship
money has been awarded to students since the scholarship awards
were launched 16 years ago.

He said all the money comes from community donations -- no
government grants are involved.

Lacy said the selection committee decided how much to award each
student based on need and the cost of college tuition.

The 16 winners are outstanding students, Lacy said, who make
members of the community want to give more to support the
scholarship fund.

"It's absolutely amazing to see how many (obstacles) these
students have overcome," she said. "Many are supporting their
families and still achieved. Many are the first in their families
to graduate high school and go on to college."